CRAFTING THE MIND OF PROSOCS AGENTS

PROSOCS agents are software agents that are built according to the KGP model of agency. KGP is used as a model for the mind of the agent, so that the agent can act autonomously using a collection of logic theories, providing the mind's reasoning functionalities. The behavior of the agent is controlled by a cycle theory that specifies the agent's preferred patterns of operation. The implementation of the mind's generic functionality in PROSOCS is worked out in such a way so it can be instantiated by the platform for different agents across applications. In this context, the development of a concrete example illustrates how an agent developer might program the generic functionality of the mind for a simple application. 20 2-4 105 131 Cited By :1

PROSOCS: a platform for programming software agents in Computational Logic

We present the design and implementation of PROSOCS, a platform supporting the programming of software agents that have a {\em mind} and a {\em body}. The mind reasons autonomously and logically via a collection of logic theories with generic functionality, developed using various extensions of logic programming, and controls the overall behaviour of the agent via a {\em cycle theory} that specifies preferred patterns of operation. The body, on the other hand, provides sensors and effectors for the mind to be able to access and change the environment in which the agent is situated. PROSOCS has been developed using Prolog - to program the functionality of the mind, Java - to program the functionality of the body, and the Peer-to-Peer system JXTA - to provide the functionality required for agent bodies to communicate and interact in an open distributed environment

Threshold Counters with Increments and Decrements?

A threshold counter is a shared data structure that assumes integer values. It provides two operations: Increment changes the current counter value from v to v + 1, while Read returns the value bv=wc, where v is the current counter value and w is a xed constant. Thus, the Read operation returns the \approximate " value of the counter to within the constant w. Threshold counters have many potential uses, including software barrier synchronization. Threshold networks are a class of distributed data structures that can be used to construct highly-concurrent, low-contention implementations of shared threshold counters. In this paper, we give the rst proof that any threshold network construction of a threshold counter can be extended to support a Decrement operation that changes the counter value from v to v; 1

Symbolic right-sizing and Balkan Nationalisms: The Macedonia name dispute and the Prespa Agreement

This article examines identity politics on the Macedonian name dispute and draws parallels with identity conflicts in other divided societies to examine how peacemakers and hardliners contest the prospect of negotiated peace settlements. The first part of the article examines competing narratives of the dispute and how the unexpected challenge of ‘symbolic right-sizing’ of national identity on both parts following the dissolution of Yugoslavia provoked major public and political outrage. It compares Greek and North Macedonian understandings of national boundaries, unity and ethnic group entitlement over symbols of national unity and past glory. The second part investigates conflict resolution and the two UN mediated agreements on the Macedonian name dispute: the Interim Agreement negotiated by Richard Holbrook and Matthew Nimitz in September 1995; and the comprehensive Prespa Agreement mediated by the latter in June 2018 concluded in early 2019. In the final part of the article, the wider significance of the case for the region, symbolic ‘right-sizing’, and theories of identity framing and conflict resolution are discusse

Negotiating the right of return

Negotiating the right of return is a central issue in post-conflict societies aiming to resolve tensions between human rights issues and security concerns. Peace proposals often fail to carefully balance these tensions or to identify incentives and linkages that enable refugee return. To address this gap, the article puts forward an alternative arrangement in negotiating refugee rights currently being considered in the bilateral negotiations in Cyprus. Previous peace plans for the reunification of the island emphasized primarily Turkish Cypriot security and stipulated a maximum number of Greek Cypriot refugees eligible to return under future Turkish Cypriot administration. The authors’ alternative suggests a minimum threshold of Greek Cypriots refugees plus self-adjustable incentives for the Turkish Cypriot community to accept the rest. The article reviews different options including linking actual numbers of returnees with naturalizations for Turkish settlers or immigrants, Turkey’s EU-accession, and territorial re-adjustments across the federal border. In this proposed formula, the Greek Cypriot side would reserve concessions until refugee return takes place, while the Turkish Cypriot community would be ‘demographically secure’ under all scenarios by means of re-adjustable naturalization and immigration quotas. Drawing parallels with comparable cases, the article emphasizes the importance of making reciprocity and linkages explicit in post-conflict societies